The Washington Redskins need to improve in quite a few areas if they want to get back into playoff contention next season, but they'll have the chance to address several key areas through the 2015 NFL Draft. While some needs will be taken care of in free agency, we've highlighted three areas where Washington can improve the most when the draft rolls around:
3. Cornerback
DeAngelo Hall is getting further and further past his expiration date, and E.J. Biggers definitely is not the answer. Washington needs to get younger and better at the CB position, and they can do that with this year's solid, if unspectacular batch of CB prospects.
FSU's Ronald Darby could slip to the second round, which Washington would love, but Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson and Stanford's Alex Carter are by far the most likely targets here.
2. Safety
Washington's secondary doesn't just need new corners - the ineffective duo of Ryan Clark and Brandon Meriweather will become free agents shortly, and the Redskins were due for an upgrade anyway. Alabama's Landon Collins is a bit of a reach at #5, but Louisville's Gerod Holliman and Syracuse's Durell Eskridge are very exciting prospects who should both be available in Round 3. Also keep an eye on Virginia's Anthony Harris.
1. Pass Rush/DE
The Redskins ranked 24th out of 32 NFL teams in passing yards allowed last season, and that stat looks even worse when you realize that in 2014, Washington played just three games against QBs who ranked in the top 10 in passing yardage (Andrew Luck, Eli Manning x2). While some of that responsibility falls on the secondary, the Redskins just didn't put enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks last year, and while Jason Hatcher played well, he can't do it all by himself. There just aren't enough defensive line prospects on the roster to build this into a strength without addressing the position through the draft, but Scot McCloughan has some very good options here.
The Redskins will be hoping that one of this draft's three dominant DEs (USC's Leonard Williams, Nebraska's Randy Gregory, Mizzou's Shane Ray) falls to them at #5. With Tampa (#1) and Tennessee (#2) likely to look at QBs, they have a solid shot at landing an instant upgrade.
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